This study examines public perceptions of Conversational Agents (CAs) in the US and China, focusing on cultural differences and technical characteristics. Using computational methods, the research analyzed approximately one million social media discussions from Twitter and Sina Weibo. Key findings include: 1. **Cultural Differences**: - **US Participants**: Tended to view CAs functionally, with an ambivalent attitude, perceiving them as more competent but less warm. - **Chinese Participants**: Viewed CAs hedonically, perceiving voice-based and physically embodied CAs as warmer and more competent, generally expressing positive emotions. 2. **Technical Characteristics**: - **Conversational Focus**: Virtual companions and intelligent assistants were categorized based on their interaction depth and breadth. - **Conversational Mode**: Text-based, voice-based, or hybrid CAs were analyzed. - **Human-like Appearance**: The extent to which CAs resembled human features. - **Physical Embodiment**: Whether CAs had a physical presence or were disembodied. 3. **Discussion Themes**: - **Individual Interactions and Experiences**: Dominant in both countries, with US users focusing more on functional interactions and Chinese users on social-oriented interactions. - **Industrial Development and Applications**: Chinese discussions emphasized industry trends, while US discussions focused on specific CA products and applications. - **Technical Aspects of CA**: Smaller but significant in both countries, with US users engaging more in technical discussions. - **Socio-cultural Events and Issues**: Limited but interesting, with Chinese users more involved in popular culture and legal & ethical issues. - **Political Issues**: Exclusive to the US, involving political attitudes and opinions. 4. **Perceptions of Warmth, Competence, and Emotional Valence**: - **US vs. China**: US participants perceived CAs as warmer and more competent but had a neutral emotional orientation, while Chinese participants associated CAs with a more positive tone despite perceiving them as less competent. - **Technical Characteristics**: Perceptions remained relatively consistent across different technical features, with virtual companions being strongly associated with warmth and physically embodied CAs linked to a more positive tone. The study provides insights into how culture and technical characteristics shape public perceptions of CAs, suggesting that designing contextually sensitive and user-centric CAs can enhance user experience and acceptance.This study examines public perceptions of Conversational Agents (CAs) in the US and China, focusing on cultural differences and technical characteristics. Using computational methods, the research analyzed approximately one million social media discussions from Twitter and Sina Weibo. Key findings include: 1. **Cultural Differences**: - **US Participants**: Tended to view CAs functionally, with an ambivalent attitude, perceiving them as more competent but less warm. - **Chinese Participants**: Viewed CAs hedonically, perceiving voice-based and physically embodied CAs as warmer and more competent, generally expressing positive emotions. 2. **Technical Characteristics**: - **Conversational Focus**: Virtual companions and intelligent assistants were categorized based on their interaction depth and breadth. - **Conversational Mode**: Text-based, voice-based, or hybrid CAs were analyzed. - **Human-like Appearance**: The extent to which CAs resembled human features. - **Physical Embodiment**: Whether CAs had a physical presence or were disembodied. 3. **Discussion Themes**: - **Individual Interactions and Experiences**: Dominant in both countries, with US users focusing more on functional interactions and Chinese users on social-oriented interactions. - **Industrial Development and Applications**: Chinese discussions emphasized industry trends, while US discussions focused on specific CA products and applications. - **Technical Aspects of CA**: Smaller but significant in both countries, with US users engaging more in technical discussions. - **Socio-cultural Events and Issues**: Limited but interesting, with Chinese users more involved in popular culture and legal & ethical issues. - **Political Issues**: Exclusive to the US, involving political attitudes and opinions. 4. **Perceptions of Warmth, Competence, and Emotional Valence**: - **US vs. China**: US participants perceived CAs as warmer and more competent but had a neutral emotional orientation, while Chinese participants associated CAs with a more positive tone despite perceiving them as less competent. - **Technical Characteristics**: Perceptions remained relatively consistent across different technical features, with virtual companions being strongly associated with warmth and physically embodied CAs linked to a more positive tone. The study provides insights into how culture and technical characteristics shape public perceptions of CAs, suggesting that designing contextually sensitive and user-centric CAs can enhance user experience and acceptance.